Auto Repair Shop Money Management might be an uncomfortable topic, but we need to cover it! Gary Gunn quizzes our YNR panel of automotive shop owners on how they can better manage their finances.
Defining Money – Repair Shop Money ManagementGary starts off with an unusual question for our panel of shop owners. “How do you define money?” It may seem silly to ask a question like this. However, when we get to the root of what money really is, we can take a deeper dive into repair shop money management.
When Pam replies, she defines money as an item we exchange in lieu of barter. We have assigned a value to it, so it drives commodities in our markets.
Fred measures money in time. Customers pay us for our employees’ time when they perform automotive repair services. We then pay those employees for their time. Finally, we pay ourselves for the time we put in guiding our team and steering the ship.
Joe adds that the government assigns money a value based on the gold that backs it. We can then exchange that valuable paper for a good or service. Jerry then uses the analogy of money as a fuel for an engine. That engine exists to move our business or personal life forward. Money management is how we fine tune that engine.
Gary makes the point that we can run out of the “gas” that is money and end up stuck on the proverbial freeway. Sometimes our business’s cash on hand can ebb and flow. However, our repair shop money management skills will determine will determine if we reach our long term destination.
Do lack direction on repair shop money management? Perhaps your business plan has stalled out, and you need an experienced automotive industry coach to help you. Then why not schedule a FREE business strategy session with Brian? You’ve got nothing to lose, so sign up today!
We’ve all heard the old adage, “you can’t change what you don’t measure.” Ok, that much is relatively obvious. But where do you start? What do you measure, and how do you measure it? Who do you ask for help? Those are the real questions that we want to address when we talk about a KPI!
Asking the right questions in the right way is the key. We are identifying what the underlying items are, which move that vehicle towards the finish line. We all have “distal” goals (long distance goals we want to reach in the future), but we can’t reach them without first setting “proximal goals” (small, easily attainable goals which stack to build a foundation).
“KPI” stands for “Key Performance Indicator.” Your KPIs are the steps you list out that you have to meet in order to reach a greater goal. Consider your KPIs your proximal goals, and “double my revenue this year” your distal goal (ultimate future goal).
Identifying the right KPIs can help you break down a monumental task into tiny little bite-sized pieces which you can then easily take action on.
Let’s use “Getting Buff” as a fun example!
So, you want to get ripped, shredded, built, and buff for the summer season?! Ok, easier said than done; that’s the definition of a distal goal, right there! Here is what we really need to do. We need a list of KPIs; smaller proximal goals we can use to get us there!
Now, this is a silly example, of course. But do you see how we broke the bigger goal into tiny little victories that we can check off? Doing this allows us to measure our progress towards our bigger goal. After that, we can produce easily digestible data.
We have seven KPIs listed. If we complete the first three, we can tell our significant others that we are 42% of the way there. So, it works the same for your auto repair business. If you have a goal to “double my revenue this year,” what are the exact steps you need to take to start moving the needle?
Building KPIs can be daunting, and we understand that the process can be frustrating. How to start, where to start, and why to start? These are all great questions!
That is where we come in at You Net Results! We make that process easier than you ever imagined. We will help you navigate the complicated world of KPIs in order to get you to your next revenue goals.
Please contact You Net Results today for a complimentary consultation. Brian Gillis and our team will help you build your KPIs, and plug you into a vast network of auto repair shops. We work together so we can make the auto repair shop industry stronger! Let’s make June the best month of your business life!
Mike Meer, Shop Owner of Supreme Auto Care, shares what he has discovered
about Credit Card Fees.
So I can look forward to the coming year, predict and project budgeted goals, then determine what needs to be done to achieve them. Always ask, “How do we achieve these Budget Goals?”
